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TŪNIQ: Reviving Indigenous Traditions around the Production of Clothing
More than five months ago, H&M introduced a new recycling machine that can turn any used fabric into a new pair of clothing. According to the multinational clothing retail company, this could be the solution to the billions of tons of textile waste produced every year. But will H&M’s new recycling machine change the vicious circle of overproduction ànd overconsumption that we are currently living in? According to Iman Masmoudi, co-founder of TŪNIQ, “We’ve doubled the amount of clothes we produced in the past 15 years. We don’t need more clothes. It’s not about how fast to produce anymore. It’s about how we can be more human, have more beautiful…
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Farming with a Higher Intention: L.A. FARMS
After not having visited Cape Town for quite some time, I found myself back in the Mother City a while ago. Trying to find local, halaal, and tayyib (ethical) farms, I asked friends and family where they buy their meat from. The name L.A. FARMS came up more than once, and it did not sound unfamiliar. Not too long ago, their van had passed through our street to deliver an order at our neighbors’ house. Together with my sister-in-law, we visited their shop and were amazed to hear that the farm is located by the Atlantic Sea, on the West Coast around 147 kilometers away from Cape Town. We phoned…
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From Cattle to Steak: Know the Source
Living in Cairo for almost two years, I feel a sense of amazement to walk on grounds where the world’s most agricultural civilization ever has lived thousands of years ago. Agriculture was the foundation of the ancient Egyptian economy and was vital to the lives of the Egyptian people. To provide the civilization with food, the Egyptians were dependent on the gift of the Nile—the yearly flooding that left behind a black fertile soil, kemet, to grow crops and raise animals on. Animals, in particular cattle, were used to work the land—trample the seeds, pull the plough, and eat leftover grain—and to provide the Egyptians with food and drink. Agriculture…
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Would It Be in the Spirit of the Sunnah to Be Vegan Today?
As a Bosnian married to a South African, our cultures are not unfamiliar with meat dishes. Akni or biryani is served for Eid or on weddings, and ćevapi is a traditional, Bosnian meat dish. Meat is an integral part of many cultures and religions. But are we overindulging in our meat consumption? After reading Mohamed Ghilan’s blog post on the Sunnah and veganism, a door to reflection opened. If Islam advocates protecting the environment and if today’s meat consumption contributes to an environmental crisis, are we actually practicing the Sunnah by eating meat? What is the Meaning of Sunnah? The core meaning of Sunnah is following the Prophet’s (saws) sayings,…
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The Toil and Fruits of Farming: Wiiwii’s Farm
Blessed are the hands of a farmer who, through his hard labor and devotion, feeds mankind. Wael is an Egyptian farmer. With no previous experience in farming, Wael decided to leave the corporate world behind and, in February 2017, buy a plot of land that today he proudly calls Wiiwii’s Farm. Wiiwii’s Farm is an organic farm adorned with olive and lemon trees, vegetable and herb plants, chickens and goats, and the sound of birds that gives tranquility to the mind, far away from Cairo’s busy city life. Situated off Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, the owner of the farm, Wael Basheer, isolated himself from the metropolis by choice, to start his…
